金剛般若經旨贊 1.3

1.3

贊釋此經。五門分別。一敘教興由。二述經宗趣。三顯經威力。四明經所被。五贊經本文。初敘教興。依經及論。總開四義。一為拔苦。二為與樂。三令起行。四令得果。言拔苦者。為除眾生老病死苦無常。經云由此三事應正等覺。出現於世。為諸眾生。說證法等。此雖總言。於別亦轉。佛所證法。唯真般若故。除三事而說。此經令四生等皆入無餘。但滅其生。無老等故。不住色等而生。其心心念不生。離生因故。言與樂者。謂眾生佛知見樂。知見即是菩提涅槃。在果在因。能所知見為開示故。而說此經。故法華云。諸佛唯一大事故。出現於世。開示悟入佛知見等。諸佛及法。從經出生。如來即是諸法如義。是相非相。即見如來。離一切相。即名諸佛。如次即為開示悟入。經文非一。應尋引之。言起行者。隨其所應法。外人等起行位故。故無著論。說六因云。為斷疑故。為起信解故。為入甚深義故。為不退轉故。為生歡喜故。為正法久住故。即是般若波羅蜜令佛種不斷。云何以此種不斷耶。斷二乘等自無分疑。令入大法。故名斷疑。初入取相。而心未定。生定信故。名起信解。云定信者。令入二空無為理故。名入甚深。謂得勝處。便樂住寂。令進修故。名不退轉。既進修已。無得而得。自慶悅故。名生歡喜。聞法慶慰。轉為他說遍流通。故名法久住。由此法故。益遍自他。故說般若佛種不斷。隨所引文。釋廣論義。言得果者。為依二諦得無住果故。功德施菩薩。論云佛所說法。咸歸二諦。一者俗諦。即人及法差別假相。二者真諦。即此人法無自性空。此真及俗。體不相離。俗即真故。有而不有。真即俗故。空而不空。非有非空。是中道理。得中道故。不住二邊。由此不住流轉寂滅。成無住處大般涅槃。故佛說經。令悟二諦。即俗觀真。離諸相故。有正智起。即真觀俗。無不達故。有後智生。由後智而興悲故。四生三界。皆令滅度。由真智而無住故。實無眾生得滅度者。生智而無住故。不住生死興悲而度生故。不住涅槃。即成無住大涅槃果。下文皆爾。應尋引之。敘興由竟。

Praising and explaining this sūtra is divided into five sections: first, explaining the reasons for the arising of the teaching; second, setting forth the central purport of the sūtra; third, revealing the mighty power of the sūtra; fourth, clarifying those who are addressed by the sūtra; fifth, praising the main text of the sūtra. First, explaining the arising of the teaching: based on the sūtras and treatises, this is generally opened into four meanings: first, to extract suffering; second, to bestow joy; third, to cause practice to arise; fourth, to cause the attainment of the fruit. As for extracting suffering: this is to eliminate the impermanent suffering of birth, old age, sickness, and death for sentient beings. A sūtra states: 'Due to these three matters, the Samyaksaṃbuddha appears in the world to teach the realized Dharma and so forth to sentient beings.' Although this is a general statement, it also applies specifically: because the Dharma realized by the Buddha is solely true prajñā, this sūtra is taught to eliminate these three matters, causing the four modes of birth and others to enter [the nirvāṇa] without remainder, merely extinguishing their rebirth, so that there is no old age and so forth; by not abiding in form and so forth when giving rise to the mind, mental thoughts do not arise, because they are free from the causes of rebirth. As for bestowing joy: this refers to the joy of the Buddha's vision and knowledge for sentient beings. Vision and knowledge are precisely bodhi and nirvāṇa. In the fruit and in the cause, this sūtra is taught to open and show the subject and object of vision and knowledge. Thus the Lotus Sūtra says: 'It is for one great matter alone that the Buddhas appear in the world: to open, show, awaken to, and enter the Buddha's vision and knowledge, and so forth.' All Buddhas and their Dharmas are born from this sūtra. The Tathāgata is the meaning of the tathatā of all dharmas; that marks are not marks is to see the Tathāgata; being free from all marks is called the Buddhas. In sequence, these correspond to opening, showing, awakening to, and entering. The sūtra passages are numerous and should be consulted and cited. As for causing practice to arise: this is to cause external persons and others to give rise to practice and stages in accordance with what is appropriate. Therefore, Asaṅga's commentary states six causes, saying: 'To sever doubts, to give rise to faith-and-understanding, to enter the profound meaning, to attain non-retrogression, to generate joy, and to cause the true Dharma to abide long.' This means prajñāpāramitā keeps the Buddha-seed unbroken. How does it keep this seed unbroken? Severing the doubts of the two vehicles and others who think they have no share [in Buddhahood], causing them to enter the Great Dharma, is called severing doubts. When first entering, one grasps marks and the mind is not yet settled; generating settled faith is called giving rise to faith-and-understanding. Causing settled faith means causing entry into the unconditioned principle of twofold emptiness, which is called entering the profound. Thinking that having attained an exalted state, one might delight in abiding in quiescence; causing them to advance in cultivation is called non-retrogression. Having advanced in cultivation, attaining without attainment, one rejoices in oneself; this is called generating joy. Rejoicing and being comforted upon hearing the Dharma, one explains it to others to circulate it everywhere; this is called causing the Dharma to abide long. Due to this Dharma, the benefit extends universally to oneself and others; hence it is said that prajñā keeps the Buddha-seed unbroken. One should consult the broad commentary's meanings following the cited passages. As for attaining the fruit: this is to attain the non-abiding fruit based on the two truths. Bodhisattva Guṇaprabha's treatise states: 'The Dharma taught by the Buddha all resolves into the two truths: first, conventional truth, which consists of the differentiated provisional marks of persons and phenomena; second, ultimate truth, which is the emptiness without self-nature of these very persons and phenomena.' These ultimate and conventional [truths] are not separate in essence. Because the conventional is the ultimate, existence is non-existence; because the ultimate is the conventional, emptiness is non-emptiness. Neither existence nor emptiness is the principle of the middle way. Attaining the middle way, one does not abide in the two extremes. Thereby not abiding in saṃsāra or extinction, one accomplishes the unlocated mahāparinirvāṇa. Therefore, the Buddha spoke the sūtra to cause awakening to the two truths. Observing the ultimate through the conventional, because one is free from all marks, correct wisdom arises. Observing the conventional through the ultimate, because there is nothing one does not penetrate, subsequent wisdom arises. Because compassion arises through subsequent wisdom, the four modes of birth and the three realms are all led to extinction. Because there is non-abiding through true wisdom, in reality no sentient being attains extinction. Generating wisdom and non-abiding, one does not abide in birth-and-death; giving rise to compassion and delivering beings, one does not abide in nirvāṇa. This accomplishes the fruit of unlocated mahānirvāṇa. The passages below are all like this and should be consulted and cited. The explanation of the arising is concluded.